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Monitoring and Evaluation

The flexible and multisectoral nature of cash presents unique challenges when it comes to monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of humanitarian responses. Agreeing and using common indicators will help to ensure we are working together to improve the quality of cash and voucher assistance (CVA).

Most M&E challenges, such as a lack of sufficient investment and capacities, are not specific to CVA. But those that are relate primarily to monitoring outcomes for unrestricted transfers. The flexibility of cash transfers can make it difficult to determine appropriate outcome indicators, as they may involve a combination of sector-specific and cross-cutting indicators. At the same time, there are limitations on gathering accurate data on how cash transfers are spent.

Grand Bargain signatories have committed to ensuring relevant M&E mechanisms are in place for cash, and increasing understanding of the costs, benefits, impacts and risks of cash relative to other modalities. Building on this, the GB cash workstream has action points including the development of common outcome indicators for multipurpose cash, and metrics for analysing value for money. Systematic value for money analysis has been limited by factors including a lack of agreed upon approaches, the need for quality outcome data, and the intensive nature of the analysis.

Current priorities

As part of the Grand Bargain cash commitments, the CALP Network has co-led (with USAID and CRS) the development of Multipurpose Cash Outcome Indicators. The draft for testing is currently available in English, French and Spanish via the library.

Latest

Scaling Up Existing Social Safety Nets to Provide Humanitarian Response: A case study of Ethiopia’s Productive Safety Net Programme and Kenya’s Hunger Safety Net Programme

Report

A case study of Ethiopia’s Productive Safety Net Programme and Kenya’s Hunger Safety Net Programme. This thematic report has been undertaken as part of a 2013 research study entitled, Is Cash Transfer Programming ‘Fit for the Future’? The research was commissioned by the the CALP Network and...

2014

Lesotho: A Safety Net to End Extreme Poverty

Report

The objective of this study is to help the government to decide what role safety net and transfer programs should play in the coming 5 to 10 years. It seeks to answer three questions: Can increased spending on transfers accelerate poverty reduction in the medium to long term? Which groups and aspects of...

2014

Enhancing WFP’s Capacity and Experience to Design, Implement, Monitor, and Evaluate Vouchers and Cash Transfer Programmes: Study summary

Report

With support from the Government of Spain, and in partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP), researchers from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) evaluated four pilot projects to assess the comparative performance of cash transfers, food payments, and vouchers on household food...

2013

Building Orphan Competent Communities: Experiences from a community-based capital cash transfer initiative in Kenya

Report

As a result of the increasing number of orphans in sub-Saharan Africa, numerous programmes have been initiated to facilitate the care and support of orphaned and vulnerable children. This paper reports on a community-based capital cash transfer initiative in Kenya and explores its role in building orphan...

2013

Cash Transfer Programme Participatory Consultation, Feasibility and Market Readiness Study: Burmese refugee camps, Thailand border

Report

This report is a participatory consultation, cash feasibility and market readiness study of the Burmese refugee camps on the Thailand border. It is a rapid, snap shot guide as to whether the conditions in two contrasting camps out of the full nine camps are conducive to a switch from the current ration...

2013

Impact Evaluation of Cash and Food Transfers for the Seasonal Emergency Safety Net in Hajjah and Ibb Governorates, Yemen Endline Report

Report

This report is the final impact evaluation of the World Food Programme’s Cash and Food transfer program in Yemen. The program operated in Hajjah and Ibb governorates within the larger Emergency Safety Net (ESN), which provides assistance to qualifying households in rural Yemen. The report details the...

2013

Gatekeepers in Mogadishu: Research Consultancy

Report

Since 2011 the Somalia Cash Consortium has been implementing large-scale unconditional cash transfers (UCTs) under the Food Assistance to Vulnerable Households in South Central Somalia. Members of the Consortium have been confronted with the challenge of having to negotiate security and access to IDP...

2013